Heart of Glass
by imnotokaay
Summary: She was a girl who never quite understood her worth; she was told that she wasn't good enough and that's what she believed. Pan believes she's the key to everything and sets out to win her heart; a certain pirate wants to win her heart too. Follow Persephone on her journey through fear, love, adventure, but more importantly, magic. Rated M for mature themes throughout.
1. Prologue

"The Prophecy states that a young boy will save magic, the problem is - he won't get here for a long time." The first boy said to the second.

"So, what do you suggest that we do?" The second asked, his face almost entirely covered by the large hood that he wore.

The first smiled, "We wait."

"But-"

"There is a second prophecy, Felix." The first boy looked menacing in the darkness with only the moon as his light, "A _girl_ will come too."

"A _girl_?" Felix asked, they'd never had a girl on the island before, "What will she bring?"

"Destruction," The first boy's grin was evil, "She'll be the key to everything. We have to find her."

Felix frowned, "What does that mean?"

"It means that we have to save her from the wretched home she lives in; have the shadow collect her and bring her to me."

"Pan-"

"She's the most important thing, Felix." Pan told him, excitement clear on his face, "She holds the potential to everything."

"I take it she has magic then?"

Pan's lips curled into a wide smile, "Oh, it's more than just magic, Felix... It's _light_."


	2. Chapter 1

Things were never meant to be this way. Families weren't supposed to be like this. Parents were meant to love their children unconditionally; they weren't supposed to use children as things to take their anger out on; they weren't supposed to resent or hate their children. Children were supposed to be cherished - they were made to be loved. _Most_ children were loved. Persephone wasn't so lucky though.

She was curled on her bed trying to block out the yells of her angry father and the screams of her scared mother. It was always like this. Fights were a regular occurrence in the Greene household; fights with anger, venom and violence. Ever since she was naught but thirteen, this was how it was. She flinched when she heard glass shatter and heard her mother scream. Tonight was worse than anything Persephone had ever witnessed before.

She squeezed her eyes shut, praying for something better; wishing that someone would save her. She couldn't save herself; she was too afraid. She was afraid of what her father would do to her if he caught her and he always would catch her. She fell into an uneasy sleep with screams and her father's yells clouding her dreams.

The nightmares faded and soon, she opened her eyes to a whole new sensation. She felt like she was flying. Her eyes shot open as she came to her senses. Wind rushed through her hair so forcefully that it caused her eyes to fill with tears. Her heart almost stopped as her head whipped around, staring at her view; she _was_ flying. Her wrist was being held tightly by something. She looked up and screamed. It was black but almost see through; like a shadow. It carried her higher and higher and Persephone felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest. It carried her to unnatural heights where they burst through clouds and the large city of London became nothing more and a cluster of lights.

Panic set in when she could only see clouds and stars. She struggled against the Shadow, yelling at it, but it never reacted. It continued to soar through the air, still at unimaginable height, and its grip on her wrist was always just as tight. _Sleep_. The thought entered her mind with deep voice but she never even questioned it and instead, fell asleep in the grip of the Shadow.

* * *

"Is that her?"

"Yes, it is. It's the girl. She's _our_ girl."

"She doesn't look like much."

"It's the quiet ones that do the most damage."

"So, this girl's the key to what exactly, Pan?"

"Everything." The darker haired boy paused to look down at the unconscious girl, "She's the key to everything."

* * *

The island was calm. The sun shone down and the birds tweeted in the trees. The atmosphere would've been quite pleasant to wake up to had it not been such a shock. Persephone woke up slowly, expecting her flight across London to be a mere dream, but when her hands grasped dirt instead of bedsheets - she shot upwards.

"Ah, you're awake," A very English voice spoke from behind her, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd _ever_ wake up."

She scrambled backwards, fear once again encasing her, "W-Who are you?!" She demanded, staring up at the voice who seemed to be no older than she - maybe eighteen or nineteen.

He smiled, "How rude of me, I'm Peter. Peter Pan."

Persephone stared at him blankly, "What?"

"You asked for my name and I gave you it; Peter Pan. Did the Shadow drop you on your way here or are you usually forgetful?" He never missed a beat. He was always teasing; always taunting.

"I _heard_ you," Persephone's eyes narrowed, "but you're joking. I want to know your _real_ name."

Peter cocked his head to the side, "That is my real name."

"Peter Pan's a fairytale character. He's _fictional_."

He rolled his eyes, "That's rude considering I'm standing right in front of you."

"You're... You're Peter Pan?"

He grinned, "The one and only."

"But- _How_?"

"You really don't get this, do you? Let me explain; I'm Peter Pan. I live here on this island with my Lost Boys."

"I-Island? Lost Boys?"

He ignored her, "I brought you here, Persephone."

"How do you know my na-"

"Doesn't matter. What matters is you and this island with all of its occupants."

"What's the name of this island?"

Peter smiled down at her, "I have a feeling that you already know."

Persephone released a breath she didn't know that she was holding, "Neverland."

He grinned, "Correct. Now, shall I give you the grand tour?"

She stared at his outstretched hand before jumping to her feet and running. She had to get off whatever the hell this place was. She was _not_ in a fairytale. She was _not_ on Neverland with Peter Pan and his Lost Boys. She was _not_... Peter had seemed to anticipate her fleeing so he smirked and mumbled, "I do love the chase."

The forest was thick, dense and she found herself getting so lost; only running deeper and deeper into it. She wanted to get out. She needed to find someone; _anyone_. She ran for what seemed like miles, passing only trees. When her legs ached and lungs burned, she stopped.

"You're not very good at hiding."

She spun around, gulping in air, " _You_." She hissed, "Where am I?! Why am I here?"

Peter walked towards her, tossing an apple into the air before taking a bite, "You're in Neverland. You're here because you were made to be here." She gawked at him as he continued, "Now, would you like a tour of the island?"

"I want to go home." She glared at him, "I don't want to be here."

He rolled his eyes, becoming increasingly annoyed with the stubborn girl, "You want to go _home_ to a family that doesn't care about you?"

Her strong composure dropped, "How did you-"

"I know all about you, Persephone." He taunted as he glided closer to her, "But I'll play your game; I'll give you twenty four hours - so until tomorrow morning - to hide. Hide anywhere you like on this island. As soon as tomorrow morning comes, I'll look for you. If I haven't found you in one hour then you get to go home."

"What happens if you find me?" Her voice was timid, making Pan's smirk grow.

"Then you get to stay on the island."

She eyed him wearily, "Why do I get twenty four hours to hide and you get an hour to find me?"

He grinned at her, the grin chilling her to the very core and making every hair stand on end, "I'm quite a good seeker." He replied, "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Persephone." He turned and walked away and Persephone didn't know how someone eating an apple could look so threatening, "You better hide!" He called, never once turning back to look at her.

Fighting the fear, Persephone began to run again ignoring her sore muscles. She wanted off of this island. Peter - or whatever his _real_ name was - was right though, she didn't want to go back home but she didn't want to be here either. She spent hours running, trying to find a good hiding spot. There were lots of hiding spots but she knew that Peter would find her - he would always find her. She weaved in and out of trees, ducking in ditches and even tried to climb a few trees - each attempt ended with her falling on her back though. The hunger and thirst grew and she was searching more for water than a decent hiding. She came across a stream a few hours later and drank her weight in water.

It was getting dark and Persephone had been roaming the forest all afternoon. She didn't care anymore; all she wanted was to go to sleep. She wandered upon a hollowed out tree which, surprisingly, was big enough for her to curl inside. She knew that Peter would find her; deep down, she knew that although they'd just met, she'd never really be able to get away from him. After making a small pillow from leaves and moss, Persephone curled up and closed her eyes. Sleep took her much faster than she thought and soon, she was having dreams of a wonderful land where no one aged and everyone was happy.

* * *

Peter smiled from his place in a tree as he watched the girl fall asleep. She had no idea about her importance. She was _so_ important to all of this. She was the key. Why? For she would take Pan's heart and make it light. She would save him. She would keep the island alive. She would rule alongside him. Persephone was a perfect match for Pan, she just didn't know it. After a life where all she'd known was pain, Peter would show her something else. He would take her heart of glass and strength it to be made of stone or of iron.

He hadn't cheated in his game - god, he _hated_ cheaters - no, he'd actually just stumbled upon her. Say what you will about him, Pan was honest at least. He knew that Persephone had lost his game and he knew that she'd be staying on the island. She'd be his forever. He also knew that she never really wanted to leave in the first place. It was Neverland; why would anyone want to leave?


	3. Chapter 2

When she woke up, a crowd of boys - ranging in ages and sizes - stared back at her. She did the only logical thing and screamed. This scared a lot of them and the majority fled to hide either behind a tree or _up_ a tree, "She's awake!" One yelled. Another called, "Get Peter!" One smaller, more timid cried, "We upset Mother."

Persephone scuttled away from them, backing into a tree and sinking against it, "Where am I?" She asked the three that were still in front of her.

"Why Neverland, of course." The boy was young with dark hair, much like hers, and his eyes were the brightest blue, "Sorry for scaring you, Mother."

"How did I end up _here_ though?" She asked him, "I was- I was asleep in a tree."

Peter had a tendency for appearing from nowhere and as long as Persephone would know him, she'd still be surprised but with time, she'd perhaps learn to sense his presence. That, however, wouldn't be for a while. So when he did drop from the tree that she was under, she yelped in surprise, "I found you last night just after you'd fallen asleep - I carried you back here." He explained.

Persephone's eyebrows furrowed, "You were supposed to look for me in the morning. You _cheated_."

Rage fired up within his being and he took a threatening step towards her, glaring down at her, "I'm a lot of things but I'm not a cheat." He spat. She swallowed and nodded quickly, unfortunately knowing that when someone with anger acted like this; it was always best to give in to what they wanted and tell them what they wanted to hear.

"Peter, can we show Mother around now?" The boy with the blue eyes and dark hair asked.

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

A grin stretched on Peter's face; a grin that simultaneously terrified and excited her, "Well, I _did_ find you," He drawled, "which means you're staying here-"

"-which makes you our first Mother!" Another boy yelled, leaping out from behind a tree. This one had reddish hair with brown eyes and the widest smile she'd ever seen.

"Yes," Peter smirked, "Welcome to your home, _Mother_." He extended his hand, "Shall I give you the grand tour?" She looked at his hand before looking at him again before tentatively accepting.

* * *

First, he introduced her to the 'Lost Boys'. She found out that red haired boy was Tootles, the dark haired blue eyed boy was Devin and the scary blonde haired one who could've been either the same age as herself or older was Felix. There must've been more than a dozen, all crowded around her. They were pleasant for the most part- much like what they were in the fairytale. One or two were just watching her; nervous and a little annoyed that a _girl_ had invaded their home, she supposed. _It won't be my home much longer,_ Persephone thought as she spoke to the boys, _I'm going to escape_. Little did she know, escaping Neverland was impossible. A lot of them shook her hand, one even kissed it, and welcomed her to the island. Peter watched from the sidelines with Felix by his side, "What do you think of her so far?"

Felix considered her, "She's weak." He frowned, "I'd have thought she's be a lot stronger than she actually is considering she's 'the key to everything'."

Pan's nostrils flared, "She's stronger than you think, Felix... Besides, I'm going to strengthen her. Turn her shattered heart into stone."

"How will you do that?"

Pan grinned, "Who can resist me?" They turned back to Persephone who was laughing as she spoke to the Lost Boys, "She's going to save and destroy us all."

* * *

He left Felix and walked over to Persephone who was talking to the various Lost Boys, "I think that's enough talking," He said, tucking his thumbs through his belt loops and rocking on his heels, "I have to show our guest the island." Reluctantly, the Lost Boys left Persephone's side and let her walk off with Pan, "They seem to like you."

"Where did they come from?" Her happy front was gone, replaced with cold anger. Peter smiled at her coldness. He ignored her question and continued walking. He was always one step ahead of her. It was like some sort of awful foreshadowing. He was always one step ahead of her and would _always_ be one step ahead. She could never win. He would always defeat her.

"Hey!" She snapped, yanking his arm and forcing him to look at her, "Where did they come from? Did that-that _thing_ get them too?"

Peter rolled his eyes, "That _thing_ is the Shadow. Yes it brought them here but they wanted to come in the first place. I don't take anyone who doesn't want to be here."

"Except me." She whispered under her breath.

He turned on her, advancing towards her angrily, backing her into a tree, "You wanted to escape, Persephone. You _wanted_ to be rescued. I did as you wanted."

She only nodded, memories of her father's face flashing in her mind. Peter turned and started walking again, "Come on."

They walked in silence until they came to the edge of the cliff. He pointed to the waterfall on the opposite side which cascaded down to a collection of rocks where people - no not people, _mermaids_ \- resided, "Are those... mermaids?" She asked, taken aback by their beauty and their long, shining tails.

He smiled at her awe, "Yes, that's Mermaid Lagoon."

"Wow..."

Peter let her have a moment for the information to fully sink in before he told her, "Despite their beauty, do try and stay away from them."

She glanced at him, "Why? They're waving at us; they're not going to kill us."

"Actually," He pulled a face, "they do try. Not me of course."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged and pulled her away from them and back into the forest, "Some mermaids are kind, those ones aren't. They aren't fond of others. They show you your truest desires but in doing so, they pull you down so far and they drown you."

"Aaaand that's another part of my childhood destroyed."

Peter smiled slightly, "Are you hungry?" He asked her suddenly.

Persephone nodded, "I hadn't realised but yeah, I am."

He grinned at her. Persephone would never be used to his mood swings, she would always be nervous of saying the wrong thing and making him angry. She never did like anger. "Good," He told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along, "Your celebration is tomorrow."

"My what?"

"Celebration; to welcome you to the island. It'll be tomorrow." He explained, "You'll never want to leave the island after tomorrow." His words were simple but his tone was devious; like his plan was working perfectly... And that was exactly what was happening. Everything was falling in to place. Soon, she would be his and together, they would conquer.


	4. Chapter 3

She was going to get out of here. She'd planned it out and gone over it in her head one hundred times. She was escaping Neverland. Persephone's eyes were trained on the stars as she thought about where she was. This was _Neverland_ \- the fictional place in the book where _Peter Pan_ was the main character. She was in a fictional world but it was real. Neverland wasn't like it was written - it was much different in the books. It was happy, magical and wonderful. But... But it wasn't like that. Here, it was dark, scary and it always felt like there was a bigger presence watching. She'd caught a glimpse of a boat on the shore when Pan had been showing her around; that would be her escape. She'd sail until she reached a land that wasn't this one. She'd sail until she felt safe.

"Here, take this." A voice said from behind her before they threw something over her body.

Persephone shot upwards and stared down at the dark furs in disgust, "Is this _real_?" She asked Peter who stood over her.

He rolled his eyes, "Well, I don't know if you've noticed but we have a limited supply of- well, _everything_ \- on this island. We have to make our own things." She grimaced at the fur blanket but didn't push it off of her, "How are you liking the island so far?"

She shrugged, "It's... It's different than what I expected. It's not like what the book describes-"

" _Book_?" Peter was beaming as he tucked his hands in his pockets and puffed out his chest, "People must love me in your land then, hm?"

Persephone rolled her eyes, "Don't get cocky, Pan." She mumbled.

"You should sleep," He told her after a short pause, "It _is_ your welcoming celebration tomorrow, you'll need energy for it." She nodded and slowly lay down, curling under the blanket and he left her laying on the cold ground. Persephone was smart but

* * *

She felt like she'd been waiting for years. But _finally_ , the last Lost Boy climbed into his treehouse. _I'm the guest but **I** don't get a treehouse or at least a tent_, Persephone thought bitterly, _then again, it's good I'm not; being out in the open makes it easier to leave._ She waited until the snores of the sleeping Lost Boys filled the air before she silently pushed the furs off of her and stood up. She took a few steps and stopped, double checking that everyone was in their beds. When she'd concluded that yes, everyone _was_ , she began to silently move through the camp.

The forest was dark; dense. The moon's glow illuminated the trees so it looked like long, slender fingers were stretching out across the forest floor, waiting to grab their prey and pull them into the unforgiving darkness. Persephone was trained in being quiet; she knew how to avoid detection. She somehow managed to avoid every snapable twig and every crunchy leaf. With the utmost care, she left the camp and as soon as she was far enough away, she began to run. She hated running but right now, she wanted out of here. _God_ , she thought as she pushed through the shrubs, she was thankful for the thick socks she wore.

Persephone _thought_ she knew where she was going but the forest seemed to change. She felt like she'd been running for miles but was getting nowhere. It couldn't be far, the shore, _surely_ it wasn't this far away.

"Leaving so soon?"

She screamed in shock and spun around, trying to pinpoint the voice, but she couldn't see him anywhere. She began to run anywhere, desperately trying to evade him but no one could ever evade Pan, "Here I thought we were getting along." His voice echoed around the forest. Whipping her head, she tried to find him but all her eyes could see was darkness, "You can't run forever."

She threw her head over her shoulder and continued to run but she crashed into something - some _one_ \- making her fall to the cold ground, "No one leaves this island!" Peter snarled, face contorted and voice thundering. She scrambled backwards as memories flooded her mind of her father.

"Please," She sobbed, curling away from him as he advanced on her, "I just want to go home. I just want to be free..."

" _You_ wanted to be here, Persephone!" He roared, "I did as you wished. You are _not_ leaving this island!"

Suddenly, he pulled her up, holding her with a tight grip on her upper arm, "You're not leaving **me**." He hissed in her ear as he dragged her through the woods and pulled her to a part that she'd not seen before; the cages.

"Please," Persephone struggled, "Please don't lock me up. _Please_ , Peter!" She begged him but he ignored her pleads and roughly pushed her into a cramped cage, "Let me out, Peter!" She screamed at him, "I won't leave; I promise. I'll be _good_!" She knew well enough that pleads would not work but she had to try. Her screams were futile as Peter walked away, leaving her cold, alone and sobbing.

* * *

Sleep hadn't been easy to come by. The cold ground chilled her body and insects ran across her skin, biting at her tender skin. It was cramped and uncomfortable. The cage wasn't the worst part though; the _memories_ were. Memories of her home - of her father - flooded her mind, plaguing her with fear and sadness. As soon as she fell asleep, Peter was rattling the cage, "Rise and shine, Persephone!"

She could get used to the island but she could never get used to Peter's sudden mood changes. He could go from one extreme to the next in a mere second. He could be fire and then ice. She would _never_ understand him; the more she thought she did, the less she really knew.

He was grinning widely as he opened the cage door and extended his hand, "Are you coming?"

Persephone backed away from him so he crouched down, "I won't lock you up again, Persephone," He told her, "Last night was to teach you a lesson which I assume you've learned?"

She nodded once.

"Then, come on. It's your celebration, remember, your welcoming party." Reluctantly, she took his hand and crawled from the cage, "Come. The boys are _lost_ without you."

"You just made a joke." She mumbled, scared to talk to him with fear of being shoved in a cage again.

Peter smiled, "We'll also get you some new clothes, I believe Devin's stitched something up for you."

She stayed quiet for the rest of the walk. She was wary of him. She would never be able to trust him. He was too unpredictable; too turbulent. He was like a storm that was constantly evolving; dying down every once in a while and then flaring up worse than ever. Peter Pan was horrible, Persephone knew that, she knew that he would go far to get what he wanted, she just never knew _how_ far and that terrified her.


End file.
